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[av_heading heading=’No more night ops in relaunched drug war’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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January 30, 2018
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ILOILO City – In the relaunched Oplan Double Barrel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), antidrug operations must only be carried out between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This no-night-operation strategy may not sit well with some policemen but they would certainly comply with the new rule, according to the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
“This would affect our operations…because we now have limited time to operate. The volume of illegal drug recoveries may decline,” said Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, RDEU chief.
Also under the supplemental operational guidelines for Oplan Double Barrel, antidrug operations must only be conducted from Monday to Friday and none on weekends.
“If a drug pusher transacts past 5 p.m. we could not arrest him. Malagyo na ang target kag indi na naton makuha ang items. Amo ina ang mga possibilities,” lamented Bermejo.
Transparency was cited as reason for the “8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only” antidrug operations.
Bermejo said policemen would adjust to the supplemental operational guidelines
“Now we have to convince our targets to transact during daytime. We are asking the help of everybody, especially barangay officials,” said Bermejo.
Oplan Double Barrel was relaunched yesterday in Metro Manila as the PNP celebrated its 27th founding anniversary in line with Presidential Memorandum Order No. 17 that tasked the police to support the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the drug war.
“Project Double Barrel, with all the notable accomplishments under its name, is back in business – including Oplan Tokhang (house visitation) operations that has so far yielded over 1.3 million drug personalities who chose to voluntarily turn back from a life of drugs to a life of hope,” said Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
However, he also admitted oversights and dysfunctions in the Oplan which the PNP now earnestly wants to correct.
With supplemental operational guidelines now in place, Dela Rosa expressed confidence that antidrug operations will be less bloody.
“These supplemental guidelines are essentially founded on the fundamental principles of respect for human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law, with greater emphasis on transparency, accountability and command responsibility,” he said.
Dela Rosa added that “tokhang” operations shall be intelligence-driven, targeting suspected illegal drug personalities listed by the Directorate for Intelligence.
“I express optimism that this time, police interdiction operations against illegal drugs will be carried out with greater efficiency, and with less violent confrontations between law enforcers and offenders through better equipment to ensure the personal safety of our personnel, such as body armor, body camera, communications and fire suppression, complemented by skills training and enhanced capacity,” said Dela Rosa. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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